Your Nails Will Thank You

I LOVE painting my nails. Every color from grey, nude, ballet pink, to true red and even dark blue or purple when the mood strikes. At the moment they are painted in "La Moss," a rich, gorgeous wine color from Butter London. I have fun with polish and consider it a signature to any completed look. But a couple years back I started to wonder, as I am wont to do, what exactly was IN that polish I so loved. I found out that among many ingredients, there are three highly poisonous additives that are known by health advocates as the "toxic trio."

This chemical threesome is made up of toluene (a volatile solvent found in gasoline), formaldehyde (carcinogenic embalming fluid), and Dibutyl phthalate or DBP (a hormone disruptor and fellow carcinogen, which can trigger asthma attacks and cause developmental problems). So yes, I had to come to terms with the fact that for years I had been using something so ghastly and incredibly non-crunchy. But I hadn't known better! Until I did. And then there was no excuse not to change. I hope I can help you do the same. It's chic to use non-toxic nail polish and with so many "3-free" nail polishes out there, it's also easy. Here are my favorites to get your started. They can be ordered easily online:

1. Zoya. At only $8 a bottle, Zoya is definitely the most economical of the "3-free" brands I use. And they have a truly impressive selection of colors, perhaps the most impressive of the brands. Anything you could want! I have a deeper, rich pink/purple called "Reagan" and I have my eye on a few others. I have seen Zoya at nail salons before, and thankfully the one I go to has a plethora of Zoya shades.

2. PritiNYC is another brand I like. Among many great shades, they have a selection designed by Stella McCartney, and I just love "Sweet Pea" from that collection. Bottles are $13.50. They seem to specialize in variations of champagne, silver, gold and blush pinks among others.

3. Butter London. $15 a bottle, but worth it! I have several fantastic shades. And with their sleek, narrow, rectangular design, the bottles are easy to store side-by-side in a drawer or container. Of Butter London's many shades, I have "Billy No Mates," "Come to Bed Red," "Cuppa," "Fruit Machine," "Kerfuffle," "La Moss," and "Molly Coddled."

Also look for Sante, Aquarella, and Vapour, which I have not yet tried!

Are you willing to take the "3-free" challenge with me and buy only nail polishes without the "toxic trio"? There really is no reason not to. If you just adore having your nails done--I don't blame you--and your favorite salon doesn't carry any of these brands, take your chic "3-free" polish in and ask your technician to use it on your nails. And maybe you can pass along the wisdom! Also, if you already have a favorite shade or you try a new shade or two that you love, please let us all know!